The "Olive" in Jeter Olive Barker

For the longest time, it was somewhat of a mystery where the name "Olive" came from in our family. My grandfather was Jeter Olive Barker, and my dad was Jeter Olive Barker, Junior. My dad went by Bud; my grandad by Jete. Family lore has it that my grandfather offered my dad $100 to name me the third. While I can appreciate the historic nature of the name now, I cannot imagine going through school with it. So I _really_ appreciate my dad turning down the $100.

But the question has lingered, where did the name come from? I have no answer regarding Jeter, but I think I have the Olive part figured out. My great-great-great-grandfather Mark Barker married Gilley (Olive) in Wake County. Hers was a rather large family in Wake, and a history has been published. This weekend along these lines I was reviewing some information I got from a cousin, Mark Victor Barker, Junior, in Florida a few years ago. He is descended from Brinkley Barker, brother of my own Hosea Jackson Barker. Their parents were Mark Barker and Gilley Olive. Mark in Florida had never been able to go further back than that. I had not been able to know Gilley's last name for sure, so we were able to help one another out. I got motivated to do some of my own research based on his notes. Gilley's parents were Burrel (John, James, William) Olive and Polly Johnson. As I was researching on line I found a digitized copy of Burrel's family Bible, which lists several family members. Gilley is listed there, along with other names that in turn show up in the names of her children, siblings of Hosea and Brinkley. I was delighted to find this information and confirm my suppositions and solve the mystery of where the Olive name came from in our family.

Mark and Gilly Barker

I have been working with some documents that belonged to my grandfather, Jeter Olive Barker. Among them are several helpful genealogical articles related to our family. Most recently I have been working with one I call the "Mark and Gilly Barker family notes." It lists Mary and Gilly and then several children, spouses and grandchildren. I believe this may have been written by Ellen Margaret Barker, sister to my great-grandfather Walter Graham Barker. I have not yet been able to nail down that Gilly Barker was Gilly Olive before she married. But I suspect so, and that would explain my grandfather's middle name (and my dad's). I have an Olive family genealogy in the files that I need to plow through to see if it can confirm my supposition. One of the most interesting things to glean from this document is the fact that two children of Mark and Gilly Barker, Hosea Jackson Barker and Delia Barker, married siblings in the Holleman family. Also among the papers of my grandfather is a handwritten summary of the Holleman family. I have not yet integrated it into what I have, but intend to. For now, here is the notes page and my transcription of it.

Mark - Gilly

Hosea Jackson B- married Lucilla Jane Holleman ( 8 ys dec) daughter of Edwin and Sallie Johnson Holleman...boys and Ellen

Henderson Calvin b- married Salllie Wilson, daughter of Houston and

Arzilla Johnson Wilson

Burrell Quinton Barker married Nancy Hunter ?

Dickerson Barker married Martha Johnson
child

Oscar & - Cecil Barker & Mrs. Gypsy Hiatt of Greensboro

Delia or Dilly Barker married Rev Monroe Holleman (my mother's brother) 
one son- Harvey M. now dec-

Arzilla married Junius Edwards - one daughter Mrs. Carrie E. Womble

lives in Cary, NC. Another daughterLenna E. Saunders. Durham

Laura Barker married Faust Johnson.